Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

“Rapture” means to be caught up or snatched away speedily; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 explores the sacred mystery of the Rapture, which is prophesied in the Book of Revelation.

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

The central figure of this event is Jesus Christ, who is returning to rapture His church: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

When Jesus descends with a shout, the dead in Christ rise first, then the living saints will be caught up to meet them in the air.

Adrian Rogers says, “If you have the same nature as Jesus Christ when He comes again, you’re the one going up, whether you’re beneath the ground or on top of the ground. If you’ve been Heaven-born, you will be Heaven-bound.”

This passage should be of comfort to us, knowing that we will meet Him in the air. We are assured of the rapture by the saving work of the Lord, which is the Gospel. We are also assured by the Word of the Lord, which is Scripture.

Though we don’t know the exact date when the rapture will occur, we know it is close and certain; it will happen “in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trump” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

There will be signs of the times; these don’t predict the Second Coming but simply affirm it will take place.

Though the “when” of the Rapture is a mystery, the “why” is clear; it is God’s divine strategy to rescue His Bride from the Great Tribulation to come. It is when we will reunite with our fellow Christians who have died, as we are all received by the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

After we are caught up in the air, the Bridegroom will take us, His Bride, to the place He has prepared for us.

Apply it to your life
You can have peace in these treacherous Last Days if you keep your eyes on Jesus’ Second Coming; learn of it, live for it, long for it, and share it with others.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Revelation 1:1-13

The Book of Revelation was divinely written to inspire and warn those living on the edge of eternity. In Revelation 1, we are given a formal introduction to the contents of the whole book.

First, we see the central Person of Revelation, which is Jesus Christ.
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place...” (Revelation 1:1). The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of Jesus Christ; we will see Him in a different way than we’ve seen Him before.

Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus is the hero of the Bible; if you read the Bible and you don’t find Jesus, go back and reread it.”

Revelation 1:1 also presents our clear purpose as servants of Jesus Christ. We are bondslaves who seek to understand the mysteries of Scripture because we love our Master.

There is also a comforting promise within this text:
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).

We live in a messy, confusing world that is cursed with sin and pain. Through this book, we can understand the mystery of history and make sense out of suffering.

This text also explains Revelation’s certain prophecy.
We are surely living in the Last Days. There are no more prophecies that need to be fulfilled before Jesus can come. Revelation reminds us of the things which were, things which are, and which shall be. It deals with the past, present, and future.

According to the Book of Revelation, the future includes the rapture of the saints and the tribulation of this world. It prophesies the Battle of Armageddon, the beast, the millennium, and the glorification of the Savior.

It tells us of the final judgment, in which each of us will learn of the eternal state of our souls. But lastly, at the end of this book, we’re offered the last invitation of the whole Bible: “Come” (Revelation 22:17)!

As we live on the edge of eternity, may we come to Jesus before it’s too late.

Apply it to your life
Revelation 22:20 says, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” If you want stability on the edge of eternity, keep your eyes on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: John 13:34

Perhaps our greatest human need is to be loved and to give love to someone else. Not only are we, as Christians, called to love others, but we are also called to exhibit a Christ-like love.

In John 13:34, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

Christ-like love is selfless.
In a society based on self-love, self-help, and self-fulfillment, we are called to humble ourselves as Jesus did.

Adrian Rogers says, “The grace of God exalts a man without inflating him, and it humbles a man without debasing him. We don’t live in sinful exaggeration or false humiliation, but in sober estimation.”

When we experience God’s grace, through faith, we are at peace within ourselves to show love to others in fellowship.

Christ-like love is also steadfast.
Nothing we can do will make God love us any more or any less. The cross of Jesus showed that His love could stand the test of trials and extreme pressure; it will never let us go, even until the very end.

Christ-like love serves.
As Jesus gave this commandment, He was performing the duties of a servant, washing His disciples’ feet—even those of Judas, who would betray Him later that night. Jesus practiced what He preached; He didn’t give the disciples what they deserved, rather, what they needed.

Adrian Rogers says, “You can’t look down on people while you are washing their feet.”

Finally, Christ-like love is sanctifying.
In this passage, Jesus uses the example of foot-washing to symbolize sanctification. As Jesus washed the dirt from their feet, He spoke of the spiritual defilement in their lives so that they may understand what it meant to be cleansed from within.

Once we are saved, we are always saved—we are totally cleansed from the inside out, white as snow. But we live in a dirty, grimy world and sometimes we need to have our spiritual feet washed; this is called sanctification.

As Jesus demonstrates in this passage, we show love to each other by encouraging sanctification. We show this with humility, steadfastness, and service, just as Jesus did.

Apply it to your life
Do you exhibit a selfless, steadfast, serving, sanctifying love to others? As you study Scripture today, ask God to reveal ways for you to show Christ-like love to others.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Mark 10:13

In Mark 10, Jesus revealed His great love for children, and their tremendous importance to His kingdom. Our children are blessed gifts and bundles of potentiality from God, which we are responsible for teaching and training up. Though it is not by any means easy, it is simple; the Bible offers insight on the care and maintenance of our children.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

We must communicate with our children, and we must begin early. Children have a God-given instinct to ask why—a beautiful curiosity that we must nurture. They believe our every word, and trust us until we give them reason not to. What an amazing opportunity to teach and train our children.

We must see our children as unique; they are like no other, and they must know they were specifically designed by God. When we see our children as unique before God, we learn to communicate with them creatively.

We must also be real with our children, letting them see our faults so that they learn, not only how to succeed, but how to fail.

Adrian Rogers says, “Your kids don’t demand perfection, but they do demand reality.”

There must also be correction; we discipline our children because we love them and because our human nature is foolish. Children need to understand morality and learn to fear God.

When we discipline our children, we spare ourselves heartache and disgrace in the long run, and we may save them from further judgment. We must begin disciplining when a child is old enough to knowingly and willfully disobey. We should rebuke before we chastise, disciplining with love and patience, letting it be over once it’s over, and never holding grudges.

Ultimately, we pray that there will be a conversion; our holy goal is to lead our children to Jesus. We should pray for their salvation and seek it out early. Our responsibility is not to block or shove our children into a relationship with Jesus, but rather, to guide them in wisdom.

Apply it to your life
Are you raising your children with communication, correction, and conversion in mind? Make these three things your goal today; aim to care for your children in a way that glorifies the Lord.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Peter 3:7-9

God’s plan for marriage is for husband and wife to become one flesh, totally together as one. In order to be this intimate, men and women must have constant, healthy communication. 1 Peter 3 offers four steps to total intimacy and total togetherness in marriage.

Husbands must dwell with their wives thoughtfully: “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel...” (1 Peter 3:7). Men and women are equal in worth before God, but they are quite different and do not serve the same function. Neither is better or worse—God put these differences in us to complement each other.

Men are designed to be initiators, while women are designed to be responders.

Men and women are also different in thought. Generally, men tend to think logically, while women tend to think emotionally. Men tend to be inward thinkers, while women tend to be outward talkers. Men tend to be more goal-oriented, while women are generally more relationship-oriented.

We must understand our differences and give thought to the other in our communication.

We must also dwell together thankfully; we should be in the habit of expressing appreciation for each other, to each other.

Adrian Rogers says, “Happy is the man who learns how to express thanksgiving. Nothing will do more to intimacy in a marriage than for you to recognize those character traits and achievements in your wife and give honor to her.”

Couples must also communicate their trust in each other, understanding they are “heirs together of the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7).

Husbands must value their wives’ opinions and transparency, so that their wives may speak into their circumstances without fear of retaliation. One way we do this is by praying for each other, with each other.

Finally, we must express tenderness: “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous…” (1 Peter 3:8).

This passage calls wives the weaker vessel—this does not mean they are inferior, rather, that they are more delicate and should be handled with tenderness, physically and emotionally. We must love in the little things, dwell together as one flesh, and allow our homes to become colonies of Heaven.

Apply it to your life
God’s Word gives practical insight to reach total togetherness in marriage; if we communicate thoughtfulness, thanksgiving, trust, and tenderness, we can reach total intimacy.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 7:1-11

Sexual immorality completely disintegrates the foundation of a family; a culture that celebrates sexual immorality will result in the fall of a nation. God has given us boundaries, not to harm us, but rather to help and protect us. 1 Corinthians 7 gives a clear, biblical emphasis on safe sex.

“Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:2). This passage explains the way of happiness for the married person, by first recognizing the sanctity of safe sex. God’s plan for sex exists in the bounds of holy matrimony; it is part of becoming one flesh.

There’s also an element of selflessness, as 1 Corinthians 7:4 says, “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.”

Adrian Rogers says, “Lust is always marked by getting, but love is always marked by giving.”

There is also security in safe sex; as verse 5 explains, a home that does not have a proper sexual attitude is a home that is open to an attack by the enemy.

This passage also illustrates the way of helpfulness for the single life. There is nothing wrong or sinful about choosing singleness. It is a gifted life, as 1 Corinthians 7:7 states: “...But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.” But if we are not married, we cannot please God while engaging in sexual activity. If we remain guarded, our singleness leads to a godly life.

Finally, this passage also explains the way of holiness for every person, married or single.

There are several reasons to keep ourselves morally pure. Immorality is psychologically harmful. It kills true love and endangers future marital happiness.

Immorality is one of the greatest dangers to any society; there’s always the danger of conception and of disease. But ultimately, we ought to refrain from sexual immorality, simply because the Word of God clearly teaches against it.

Safe sex is a way of happiness for the married life, helpfulness for the single life, and the way of holiness for every life.

Apply it to your life
Are you living a morally pure life? If you are married, practice safe sex by keeping sex within the bounds of your marriage; if you are single, remain guarded. And no matter your relationship status, strive for holiness.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Genesis 2:21-25

We live in a tragic and dangerous day of disposable marriages; the enemy strives to break up homes to create a vicious cycle of broken people. But marriage is the highest of all earthly relationships. The purpose of marriage is for a man and a woman to come together as one flesh, sharing in the closest bond and communion possible, permanently. Genesis 2 offers instructions to maintain a super-glued marriage—one that stands the test of time.

“And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24).

First, we see that marriage is a commitment meant to last a lifetime.
All married couples essentially have the same problems; the difference is in their commitment.

Adrian Rogers says, “It is your commitment that sustains your love and marriage, not vice versa.”

Second, there must be loving communication.
There are five basic levels of communication husbands and wives must learn in order to face difficulties together:

Shallow: small talk
Factual: facts
Intellectual: ideas and opinions
Emotional: dreams, goals, and feelings
Absolute openness: completely open, unashamed, uninhibited communication.
Couples ought to strive to reach that deepest vulnerability of communication, as Genesis 2:25 relays, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

Third, there must be loyal confrontation.
When problems arise, we must be ready to confront one another in love.

Some of the major conflicts couples face in marriage are selfishness, money, sex, nagging, in-laws, and substance abuse. In order to tackle these conflicts, couples must isolate the problem and learn to attack the problem, not each other. We must deal with problems one at a time as they come up and learn to negotiate with each other—both of us can win if we come to a gentle compromise.

Finally, we must pray constantly.
In our honesty and humility with God, we find prayerful solutions to tense conflicts.

Apply it to your life
Is your marriage a super-glued, lasting commitment? Is it full of loving communication and loyal confrontation? Pray over your marriage today, that God would give you a passion and fervor to maintain your marriage.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

This is the Gospel: Jesus Christ died for our sins; He was buried and rose again on the third day. But what if death had conquered—what if Jesus had stayed in the tomb?

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 gives a tragic account of our lives without Jesus—a picture of what our lives would be if there had been no Easter. Preaching would be profitless and our faith would be foolish: “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty” (1 Corinthians 5:14).

If Christ is still in the grave, every preacher of the Gospel is wrong. If Jesus Christ is dead, our faith is also dead, because faith is no better than its subject.

Without the resurrection, the disciples would have been deceivers: “Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ...” (1 Corinthians 5:15). The disciples, who were tortured and persecuted as martyrs, would have had no gain preaching of Christ’s resurrection if He were still dead.

Adrian Rogers says, “A man may live for a lie, but not many men willingly die for a lie.”

Without Easter, sin would be sovereign: “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 5:17)!

God cannot overlook our sin; if He did, He would cease to be Holy. We have no hope of forgiveness apart from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a result, death would have dominion: “Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (1 Corinthians 5:18).

If Jesus had not beaten death once and for all, death would have the last word and ultimate dominion. But because Jesus Christ rose from the grave, there is life beyond death.

Finally, if there had been no Easter, the future would be fearful: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 5:19). Without the resurrection, we are a miserable people, with very little to look forward to.

Adrian Rogers says, “Jesus Christ is the one who walked out of that grave and took the sting out of sin. He took the dread out of death, took the gloom out of the grave, and He has given us a hope that is steadfast and sure.”

Apply it to your life
Do you know who you are in Christ? Do you believe in His death, burial and resurrection?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 2 Chronicles 20:1-25

Praise is a powerful thing, in times of joy and in times of help, but especially in times of trouble.

2 Chronicles 20:1-25 shows us how to praise our way to victory in times of opposition.

In this passage, King Jehoshaphat faced fierce opposition on all sides. Likewise, every Christian will encounter problems in the form of sin, sorrow, or death.

As King Jehoshaphat brought his people together to focus on God through fasting, we must also establish our purpose in times of opposition and seek Him.

Third, the King examined his past; in verse 7, he asks God, “Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?”

In times of trouble, we must look back at the times when God was with us. He will never fail; what He has done before, He will do again.

The King embraced God’s promise, that this land was given to Abraham before him as a place for his people to dwell. God has given us something better than the land of Canaan; He has given us victory in Jesus. We have that promise to stand on in times of defeat.

In humility, Jehoshaphat kept his eyes fixed on God and not on himself. The battle belonged to God; the King’s only responsibility was to depend upon Him.

To prepare for battle, King Jehoshaphat worshiped God and expressed his praise. Adrian Rogers says, “Praise infuses the energy of God and praise confuses the enemies of God.”

Because of the praise, the King had victory over his enemy and inherited all his enemies’ possessions; his people enjoyed the provision of God. Adrian Rogers says, “God brings us these problems to bring us to Him; the very things we dread are those things that break with blessings on our heads.”



Apply it to your life
Learn to see opposition as an opportunity. Seek God before taking action and consider fasting. Remember that God has been faithful in the past; go to His Word, stand on a promise, then ask the Holy Spirit to make that promise a reality in your heart. Refuse to act in the flesh, and instead worship and praise God. Expect Him to send confusion to the enemy and get ready for a blessing.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Isaiah 53:4-6; 1 Peter 3:18

Adrian Rogers says, “Calvary was not only the Earth’s greatest tragedy, but it was God’s greatest triumph.”

Seven hundred years before Jesus Christ suffered and died upon the cross for our sins, the purpose of His passion was prophesied in Isaiah 53.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

First, we must recognize the substitutionary purpose of the Cross.
Jesus died on the cross as our substitute. Our sinfulness separates us from our Holy God. There is no possible way for a just God to overlook our unjust sin. In order to punish sin, yet love the sinner at the same time, God sent His son, Jesus, to reconcile the world. There is a river of blood that runs all the way from Genesis to Revelation, in which God atoned for our sins through sacrifice. Jesus became that final, perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Adrian Rogers says, “Salvation does not come by learning lessons from the life of Christ, but by receiving life from the death of Christ.”

Second, we see the suffering passion of the Cross.

1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit…” Jesus suffered emotionally; before He faced the cross, Jesus asked God that “if it be possible, let this cup pass…” (Matthew 26:39). The cup is a metaphor for taking on the pollution and punishment of sin. Jesus faced immense physical suffering upon the cross; He died in utter agony in order to satisfy God’s wrath.

But praise God, at the end of Jesus’ suffering, we see the settled provision of the cross; in His final moments, Jesus declared, “It is finished.” This statement means our sins were paid for in full.

Finally, we understand the saving power of the Cross.
Through Christ’s sacrifice, we have been brought to God, made alive by His Spirit.

Apply it to your life
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, whose death atones for our sins, brings us to God, and makes us alive? Remember His passion and the purpose of the cross; share your faith with others today.